Liver assessment in patients with osteoarthritis taking non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs mainly [diclofenac acid] within two to six weeks of treatment

Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] are used to treat musculoskeletal disorders, inflammation and to control pain. Virtually all [NSAIDs] are capable of producing liver injury ranging from mild reversible elevation of liver enzymes to severe hepatic failure. To estimate the hepatic risk associated with the use of some NSAIDs. 80 osteoarthritis patients were on diclofenac acid [voltarin] tablets 75 mg, 60 of them were female and 20 were male, laboratory estimateion of serum alkaline aminotransferase [ALT], serum aspartate aminotransferase [AST], serum alkaline phosphatase activity and total serum bilirubin [TSB] were done. For comparison age and sex matched 96 apparently healthy persons serve as controls. 27 [33.75%] of the diclofenac treated patients had some impairment of liver function tests, 66.6% of the liver injury found in patients aged more than 50 years and 88.8% had occurred in females. Hepatocelluar injury characterizes most USAIDs induced hepatotoxicity. The frequency of drug induced liver injury [DILI] in diclofenac treated patients is about 33.75%. DILI is more common in females and old age

DNA content of human spermatozoa with respect to sperm morphology

The studies on the relationships of sperm morphology and DNA was backdated for nearly 25 years. DNA and morphology was studied in mammalian sperm by flow cytometry and DNA content of different sperm types for normal and abnonnal subfertile humans was recorded. The effects of some factors like drugs, cigarette smoking, cryopreservation and sexual abstinence and others on sperm morphology and DNA damage, denaturation and fragmentation in both normal fertile and abnormal infertile men were reported. Several methods for the evaluation and estimation of DNA in spermatozoa have been reported. The objective of the present study was the determination of the DNA content of spermatozoa in subfertile persons and its correlation with sperm morphology. A random sample of 66 subfertile males attending the Institute for Embryo Research and Infertility treatment, University of Baghdad, were enrolled in this study through years 2004-2005.The patients age ranged 20-45 years and their semen samples were assessed for sperm morphology by direct light microscopy. DNA content [microg/ml] was estimated using a microchemical spectrophotometric method, and data were classified into two groups according to sperm percent abnormality [below and above 50%].The results showed that no statistically significant difference [P > 0.05] of DNA content between the two groups was obtained. The DNA content [microg/ml] showed a negative non significant correlation with percent morphology in the normal and abnormal groups [P>0.05]. The level of the DNA content in the spermatozoa was not related to its percentage of morphological abnormalities